Bylaws
Section 1 – Name and Objectives
- Pursuant to the Constitution of the American Fisheries Society (hereinafter referred to as the Society) there has been established within the Society a Michigan Chapter (hereinafter referred to as the Chapter).
- The objectives of the Chapter shall be those set forth in the Constitution of the Society, and shall in particular:
- Provide a forum through the annual meeting and newsletter for the exchange of technical and policy information common to and of interest to the Chapter membership.
- Provide an opportunity through the annual meeting to promote understanding by regional, federal, and state policymakers of the nature and extent of fishery matters of concern to the Chapter membership.
- Assist in the exchange of information in a timely manner to Chapter membership through the publication of a Chapter newsletter, web site or other media as determined by the Executive Committee.
- Provide a forum to address fisheries resource advocacy and policy issues important to the Chapter.
Section 2 – Membership
- The membership of the Chapter shall consist of American Fisheries Society members in good standing (i.e., current on their dues) who have an interest in Michigan fishery issues and have paid their current Chapter dues. Members more than one year in arrears of their Chapter dues shall be dropped from the membership rolls. Nonmembers of the American Fisheries Society may, upon payment of Chapter dues, receive all Chapter communications and participate in all Chapter activities except the conduct of business. Only a Society member of the Chapter, in good standing, may be a voting member, hold office, or chair a committee.
- Members of the Student Subunits from Lake Superior State University (LSSU) and Michigan State University (MSU) are Chapter members.
Section 3 – Meetings
- The Chapter shall hold at least one business meeting annually at a time and place designated by the Executive Committee. Special meetings may be called by the President with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee of the Chapter.
- The membership must be notified at least one month before the annual business meeting and at least two weeks before the special meetings.
Section 4 – Officers
- The officers of the Chapter shall consist of a President, President- Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, and one representative from each Student Subunit.
- The Student Subunit representatives may be any elected officer of a Student Subunit and must be a Society member.
- Officers for the ensuing years shall be elected by mail, email ballot, or electronic application (e.g., Google Form) prior to the annual business meeting and installed at that meeting. The Secretary-Treasurer may succeed himself or herself, but the other officers may not serve consecutive terms, except that, in the event of a cancellation of an annual business meeting, the officers and committees shall continue to serve until the next meeting. In the case of a vacancy in any office except the President, the Executive Committee shall appoint a qualified replacement to fill the unexpired term. If the office of the President becomes vacant, the President-Elect will serve as the replacement and be eligible to continue serving as President during what would have been their elected term.
- All nominees for offices shall be members of the American Fisheries Society in good standing.
Section 5 – Duties of Officers
The President of the Chapter shall:
- Preside at all meetings.
- Serve as the Chairperson of the Executive Committee.
- Represent the Chapter to the North Central Division and to the American Fisheries Society.
- Make such appointments and perform other duties and functions as are authorized and necessary.
The President-Elect shall:
- Be Chairperson of the Program Committee.
- Assume duties of the President if the latter is unable to act.
- Advance to the office of President at the end of the term.
The Past-President shall:
- Serve as chair of the Nominating Committee
- Serve on the Student Concerns Committee
The Secretary-Treasurer shall:
- Keep the official records of the Chapter.
- Collect and be custodian of any funds belonging to the Chapter.
- Disburse funds as authorized either by the Executive Committee or a vote of the membership.
- Submit a record of receipts and disbursements at the annual business meeting, and request membership updates from the Society at least quarterly.
- Other duties may be requested by the Executive Director of the Society and officers of the North Central Division.
- An annual report shall be submitted to the Society and Division within 30 days after the annual business meeting.
The Student Subunit Representatives shall:
- Represent the interest of the Subunits to the Chapter Executive Committee and act as liaison between the Executive Committee and Subunits;
- Work cooperatively with the Chapter’s Executive Committee to assist in Chapter function and Subunit participation;
- Not advance in the Executive Committee, but instead be replaced yearly by a new Subunit representative.
Section 6 – Executive Committee
- The Executive Committee of the Chapter shall consist of the elected officers, the immediate Past-President, and the Subunit representatives, and is authorized to act for the Chapter between meetings.
- Only one Student Subunit representative will be a voting member, with voting privileges rotating between Student Subunits on an annual basis. Lake Superior State University’s Fisheries and Wildlife Club will have voting privileges during even years, and the Michigan State University Fisheries and Wildlife Club will have voting privileges during odd years.
- The Executive Committee is authorized to act on behalf of the Chapter between annual meetings.
- A quorum is required for transaction of official business at an Executive Committee meeting. A quorum for an Executive Committee meeting shall consist of three of the five voting members. Executive Committee members can appoint a proxy in writing prior to any Executive Committee meeting.
- Each member of the Executive Committee shall have one vote on Executive Committee decisions. In the event of a tie, the President’s vote shall be the deciding vote.
- A representative from the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee will be invited to attend all Executive Committee meetings to facilitate communication, but this representative should not be assigned tasks from the Executive Committee. Representatives from other committees (e.g., Awards, Continuing Education) may be invited to Executive Committee meetings on an as needed basis.
Section 7 – Chapter Committees
Committees and the Chairpersons of Committees, except as listed in Sections 5 and 6 of these Bylaws, shall be appointed by the President. The terms of office for members of the Chapter Committees shall end upon the discharge of the duties for which they were appointed, or at the next annual meeting of the Chapter, whichever comes first.
Duties of these Standing Committees are as follows:
- AUDITING makes an annual review of the financial records of the Chapter for completeness and accuracy. Audit reports are due to the Executive Committee by 1 Feb of each year.
- AWARDS nominates candidates for Chapter awards including the Albert S. Hazzard Award, the Justin W. Leonard Award, the Grayling Award, and any other such awards as may be approved by the Executive Committee. The Awards Committee is responsible for evaluating student papers presented at the annual meeting of the Chapter and selecting a single paper to receive the “Best Student Paper Award”.
- CENTRARCHID encourages and coordinates research leading to the development of functional management strategies toward the wise use of centrarchid stocks, advances the knowledge of centrarchid ecology, and provides a forum in which pertinent data and technologies can be exchanged within the scientific community and among user groups.
- COMMUNICATIONS manages the communication functions of the Chapter by disseminating pertinent information to the membership via the Chapter’s list server, web page, and newsletter social media accounts.
- CONTINUING EDUCATION assesses the continuing educational and training needs of the Chapter membership and works in close coordination with the Chapter’s other standing committees and the Executive Committee to develop a comprehensive continuing education program. The Committee makes the physical arrangements for continuing education courses. This includes determining the course location and instructor, administering registration, collecting fees, and generating publicity.
- DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION cultivates a chapter culture that ensures all members feel welcome and respected, recruits and retains members with underrepresented identities and backgrounds, and works with the Executive Committee to create and advocate for policies and procedures that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion at the chapter, regional, and international levels.
- JANICE LEE FENSKE MEMORIAL AWARD oversees the annual award which serves to recognize students who share the same characteristics and attributes that Jan exhibited throughout her professional career. The Committee administers a long-term plan for funding and works with the Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference host state to plan the award breakfast or luncheon and select award winners.
- MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE maintains Chapter membership and takes appropriate measures to attract new members. The Committee actively recruits new members to the Chapter, encourages former members to rejoin the Chapter, and promotes participation in the American Fisheries Society and the Michigan Chapter.
- NOMINATING names a slate of candidates for the Chapter offices of President-Elect and Secretary Treasurer.
- PAST PRESIDENTS handles special projects as assigned by the Executive Committee and acts as a sounding board for the Chapter.
- PRESENTATION/POSTER AWARDS coordinates evaluation of student presentations at the annual meeting of the Chapter and selects a winner and runner-up to receive “Best Student Presentation Award” and a winner and runner up to receive the “Best Student Poster Presentation Award”.
- PROGRAM COMMITTEE makes the physical arrangements for the annual Chapter meeting. This includes determining the meeting location, administering registration, collecting fees, generating publicity, and assembling and administering the program. The current President-Elect serves as Chair of the Committee.
- RIVERS AND STREAMS enhances the protection and proper management of Michigan rivers and streams by encouraging interdisciplinary, integrated watershed management, providing an exchange of information, promoting needed research, proposing draft resolutions, and drawing attention to lotic resources and issues.
- STUDENT CONCERNS monitors attitudes of student members toward the Chapter by means of surveys, correspondence, and other avenues of communication, and recommends programs to address students’ needs and problems. The Committee also makes recommendations and provides reports to the Chapter concerning needs in higher education for the training and placement of fisheries biologists, actively recruits student membership and participation in the Chapter, and oversees student travel awards.
- WALLEYE promotes the research and development of functional management strategies leading to the wise use of native and introduced stocks of walleye, sauger, and their hybrids, encourages improved culture techniques, and facilitates the dissemination of pertinent data and technology to both the scientific and user communities.
- WATER QUALITY increases awareness among Chapter members of the importance of water quality in aquatic ecosystems and provides a mechanism for Chapter members to obtain and share information about water quality issues that are of particular relevance to Michigan and surrounding states.
Section 8 – Voting and Quorum
- Chapter Meetings
- Decisions at Chapter meetings shall be in accordance with the Constitution of the American Fisheries Society.
- A quorum at any meeting for the transaction of official business shall consist of at least 15% of all Chapter members in good standing (i.e., current on their dues) or 25 individuals in good standing, whichever number is lower.
- Electronic Voting
- Internet voting shall be allowed as a means to conduct Chapter business between Chapter meetings.
- Decisions via Internet voting shall be in accordance with the Constitution of the American Fisheries Society
- A quorum for any vote regarding the transaction of official business shall consist of at least 15% of all Chapter members in good standing (i.e., current on their dues) or 25 individuals twenty-five voting members in good standing, whichever number is lower.
- Decision requests will be mailed to Chapter members without internet access and all internet voting should allow at least 30 days to provide a reasonable period for all votes to be counted.
Section 9 – Dues and Registration
Annual dues, as needed to support Chapter activities, will be established by majority vote at an annual business meeting or via electronic voting. The Executive Committee may assess each registrant attending a meeting of the Chapter, a registration fee necessary to cover the costs of the meeting. Collections shall be made by the Secretary-Treasurer or a designated representative.
Section 10 – Amendments to the Bylaws
- The Bylaws are the defining document for the Chapter and take precedence over all other rules and procedures of the Chapter. The Bylaws cannot be suspended, unless otherwise specified in the Bylaws, and cannot be changed without prior notice to members.
- The Bylaws may be amended by a 2/3 majority of Active Members choosing to vote, provided that the proposed amendment(s) are circulated in writing to the membership at least 30 days prior to voting.
- In accordance with the Society Constitution, an adopted amendment shall be reviewed by the Society’s Constitutional Consultant for conformity with the Constitution, Rules and Procedures of the Society. The Constitutional Consultant presents the adopted amendment to the Society Governing Board for approval.
- Amendments take effect when the Chapter receives written notice of their approval by the Governing Board from the Executive Director.
- Rules are the next highest level of documentation of Chapter operations. They are generally established to facilitate the conduct of Chapter business, and to describe duties and responsibilities of officers and committees. They may be suspended or amended as follows.
- The Rules may be suspended during an Executive Committee meeting until the next annual or special Chapter meeting by a 2/3 majority of the Executive Committee.
- The Rules may be suspended for the duration of a meeting by a 2/3 majority of Active Members voting at an annual or special Chapter meeting.
- The Rules may be amended by a simple majority of Active Members voting at an annual or special Chapter meeting.
- Procedures are the lowest level of documentation of Chapter operations. They are generally established to provide continuity in the conduct of Chapter business. The Procedures may be suspended or amended by a simple majority vote of the Executive Committee.